Mental Health Policy

At Why Media, we understand how important creating a supportive environment for our colleagues is. One in six British workers are affected by mental health problems like anxiety, depression and stress every year. Whatever your circumstances, we are committed to supporting you. 

Why Media have a ‘duty of care’, meaning we must do all we reasonably can to support our employees’ health, safety and well-being. This includes: 

• Making sure the working environment is safe
• Protecting colleagues from discrimination 
• Carrying out risk assessments 

Under the Equality Act 2010, mental health can be considered a disability if all of the following applies: 

• It has a ‘substantial adverse effect’ on the life of an employee (for example, they cannot focus on a task)
• It lasts at least 12 months or is expected to 
• It affects their ability to do their normal day-to-day activities (for example, interacting with people, following instructions or keeping to set working times)

A mental health issue can be considered a disability even if there are no symptoms all the time, or the symptoms are better at some times than at others. 

Why Media intend to acknowledge and support employees who are struggling. We want to identify issues and work with employees to resolve them.

We offer an open-door policy and encourage any of our employees to speak to their manager if they are struggling. Employees need to feel supported and it is our duty to create an environment where this is possible. 

We have regular catch-ups which provide an opportunity for employees to speak to their manager and discuss any issues. 

If you need to take some time off due to mental ill-health, Why Media will: 

• Keep regular contact 
• Explore adjustments to working conditions or the working environment to aid their turn such as flexible hours or changes to their responsibilities 
• Develop a recovery plan with them to identify signs of mental distress, who you may need to contact, and what support would help 

For more information, or if you are struggling, please visit https://www.mind.org.uk